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MS Society unconvinced by new research

A theory that has been put forward by an Italian doctor regarding multiple sclerosis (MS) has come under scrutiny from a leading charity in the UK.

Earlier last week, Paulo Zamboni said that he and his experts found that MS is caused by blockages in veins, causing drains in the brain and resulting in people with MS being unlikely to benefit from treatments which address chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency.

The University of Buffalo in New York is now in the process of recruiting people to address the issue.

Research communications officer at the MS Society Dr Susan Kohlhaas said that several of the charity's medical advisers have read the papers published by Dr Zamboni and have also heard him giving lectures on the subject.

"They are not convinced by the evidence that blockages to draining veins from the brain are specific to people with MS, or that this explains the cause of MS at any stage of the condition," she concluded.

MS is the UK's most common disabling neurological condition affecting younger adults, with around 100,000 people in the country hit by the disorder.